Crime & Justice

2 die in Los Angeles County sheriff's custody

Investigators are looking into why two people died Saturday in separate incidents while in the custody of LA County Sheriff's deputies.

The first happened around 4 a.m. Saturday in Lancaster. Deputies say they got a call about a man who was outside a house yelling at the residents inside.

Deputy Quiana Birkbeck says the deputies suspected the man was under the influence and tried to detain him.

"After a brief struggle, the man was eventually handcuffed and placed in the back seat of the patrol vehicle where he continued his behavior and attempted to kick out the windows of the patrol car," said Birkbeck. "While in the vehicle, the deputies noticed the man had become unresponsive."

The deputies say they called paramedics, took off his handcuffs and performed CPR. The man died at the scene. His identity has not been released.

In a separate incident, a 27-year-old woman died Saturday afternoon at the jail at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station.

Deputies say they were doing a security check when they found Jenna Coleman unresponsive on her bed.

Coleman had been arrested on Thursday for possession of a controlled substance.